The Basics
Cuisine: American Eclectic
Ambiance: Simple Modern, Relaxing
Address: 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94101 (inside the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero)
Neighborhood: Financial District/Embarcadero
Phone: 415.788.1234
Web Site: Click for Site
Must Taste (Dinner):
- Small Plate: Crab Cakes – ($15) – Delicious mix of lump and dungeness crab cakes – the jicama/corn side is amazingly simple and tasty.
Best For: Travelers, Business
What to Wear: casual to dressy
Fave Point(s): restaurant uses some local ingredients
My Fave Dish: Crab Cakes – I loved everything about this dish – from the crab cakes, to the sauces, to the side of jicama and corn…yum!
Menu pricing and availability subject to change.
My Dish
I was traveling for work to San Francisco, CA from the East Coast and was feeling a bit jet-lagged my first day in Cali. I didn’t feel like going far from my hotel, so I just hit up the Eclipse Restaurant inside the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero .
I went a bit late and the restaurant was a little empty at the time, which was totally fine with me. The dark lighting helped me relax into dinner and the candles added to the ambiance.
I had a glass of pinot grigio while I perused the menu. I liked how there were a few references to using local ingredients on the menu. The waitress could tell I wasn’t in any particular rush and gave me plenty of space while still ensuring I wasn’t getting antsy.
I was pretty full from my dim sum lunch earlier, so I just ordered the Lump and Dungeness Crab Cakes – Sweet Corn – Jicama – Balsamic off the Small Plates menu.
The crab cakes were amazing – I loved the crispy sides and the creamy inside texture. The flavor was great…
…and went really well with the accompanying sauces.
I was really surprised at how much I liked the side dish of jicama and sweet corn – the flavors were so simple and yet went perfectly together. The dish totally inspired to make a mental note to try to make something with jicama in it at home some time.
Since I was feeling really tired from the jet lag, a cozy dessert sounded really appealing, so I ordered the Ferry Building: Farmers Market Seasonal Fruit Cobbler with Streusel Shortcake. The dessert references the Ferry Building , which is a nearby Farmer’s Market (near by as in across the street).
After I ordered dessert, the waitress brought me a special dessert spoon and new napkin.
The cobbler dessert was HUGE! It was also very delicious – especially that streusel topping…mmm.
Final Dish
Eclipse Restaurant was the perfect solution for this weary traveler. Though the menu was a bit small, it was also pretty diverse and had a lot of good options and meal sizes, which should easily accommodate any traveler. I thought the entree prices were a little expensive, but you are in the heart of San Francisco, so most restaurants are pretty pricey here. I found the crab cakes to be a steal at $15, and they were the perfect size for me since I wanted something on the lighter/smaller side.
The wait staff will give you your space if you need it. For me, it was nice to not feel rushed out of the restaurant when I was trying to relax in a new city. I really appreciated the fact that the restaurant tried to use some local ingredients, and I was mostly happy with the food itself – it was wonderful! I’d definitely eat here again.